Whittiker



" parts. l

i table.

MACHINE .Foru` srurrins HoRsE-coLLARsg` ji ffspgifmatejof Lettelsratea N. 12,494,` dated March e, 15355.`

1Beiekn0wnehat r, wM; L. wfiITTAKER,

chines for Sftufhng,HorseeCollars; and I do hereby declare s the following to be a full, ""clear," andexactidescription of thesame, Preference being ,had to the accompanying c drawings, makinga part thereof, in which-- fFigurell representsfa view from oneof `fthesides of the "machine` Fig. Zrepresents a vertical longitudinal section through the machine, and Fig. 3 represents a perspective `of one ofthe clamps detached.

` Similar letters in thewfigures refer to like The nature` of my inventionuconsists first in a `weighted rack inthe straw hoppers, the fingers of lwhich are arranged` to` vwork between the ribs orslats of the hopper, for the l `purpose offeeding `down the straw insaid `hoppers sothat the stufingrods will always take in aregularquantity .of straw at each y "operation, ofthem.. "Andalsoinstuing the f,collarsimultaneously from both of its ends, "Wby rodswhich have amotion past each other y for the* purpose of` lapping y the straw throughoutthe entire length of the collar.

\ To enable others'skilled in the art to niake` and usemy inventiomlfwill' proceed toy de* i scribe the same with "ings i i iA is a table substantially supported on; legs B. `On thisftable""are`arrangedthe two hoppers C, C, sliding lnwa'ys in said table so that by `nneansof a winch D and cords@ a," "1&c`., attached to the drurnqof said winchand tofsaid hoppers,they`f(thelhoppers) may be mo-ved from `orftoward eachother on'said The hoppers `as seen in Fig. `2, are` funnel shaped so as Ito contain but little ,y strawat thel pointkwhere1 the stufling rods'` i y pass through them, and not clog the rods The outersides `of, the hoppers areinclined `reference to thedraw- `(the innersides being vertical) and are composed of rods or wiresb, between which pass f Y "aninverted rack as it were, its base aprojecting out and restinguonthe"straw. ,This inner or inverted `rackis weighted by a bar ,orits ownweight be made suflicient,

`which causes it at all times to press equally on the straw and carryl it downto where the l stuffing rodspass through the hopper, and

l 3 thuskeepl a regular supply of straw at that point to take q y y y y the collar.`

` `of CumberlandQinthecountyof Allegany "andfState of Maryland,jliax`fe invented cerfftain new and usefulImprovementsy in Ma- Oneach inner `face ofthel hopper is arranged a` clamp, for holding the collar to be stretched. This clamp is better seen in Fig..

3, where the hole c, represents the opening for the stuiiing rods to pass through, that being opposite the open end of the collar. The collar is first secured by its ends Vto the clamps on each hopper, and then the hop pers are run apart by the winch D, until suicient strain is upon the collar to hold it in astraight position, the drum of the winch being held by a ratch and dog, in any of the well known ways. It is `then ready` to ber stuffed. t v

A long reciprocating bar E, passes underneath the table A, which is connectedto a drum F, by the cords f, f. On this drum F is a crank G, by the turning of which first in one direction, and then reversing it and turning it in the other direction, gives the necessary reciprocating motion to the bar E. Upon upright pieces H, H, Vat each end of this bar, is arranged one on cach, a. stuffing bar or rod I, forked at that end which passes into the collar, for catching and carrying in the the place of that carriedinto i straw, as theypass through their hoppers,

and on their return leaving itthere, the

weighted rack within'the hoppers constantly pressing down straw frornabove to take the "place of thatcarried into the collar. These stuliing rods are'made adjustable in their up-` rlghts by set screws` g, g, and can be made to travel past each other in the collar, sothat the straw shall be lapped therein.

The usual plan heretofore adopted of stuffing collars, has been invariably to stu one half from one end, then turn around the collar, attach,"and` stuff the other half. It.,

`is evidentthat by this mode the straw is not lapped in the middle, though it might be at `or `near the ends. My machine is not therechines did one end,`it also makes a better centerthan could be done inthe old way.

i I am aware that a hinged rack inside of a hopper has been used which the inventor states can be moved up or down to change .the quantity which the stuiiingV rods are to carry intothe collar. Itis not clear how it` was done, but it dii'ers from my plan which keeps a regular and unvarying quantity at the spot which the rods pass through. It is deemed therefore new in its special application. I am also aware that a collar has been stretched while it was being filled from one end only. This is not any part of my invention because the same diiiculty arises as to its susceptibility of having the straw lapped.

Having thus fully described the nature of my invention what I claim therein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In combination with the hoppers the weighted racks for bringing down a regulated quantity of straw to take the place of that carried into the collar by the stuing rods, as set forth. 

